I hate Wal-Mart and generally detest any chain store of its ilk. Target’s slightly better and I haven’t grown to hate them with all of my heart yet, and will shop there if I’m forced to choose a cheapo chain store to patronize.

However, when I went last night, it was by choice. A few days earlier I had read on another veggie blog (I forget which one, darn it!) Go Vegetarian about Cherrybrook Kitchen, a company started by a woman with allergies that makes nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free baking mixes. And, get this, Super Target carries them in their grocery department! Honestly — a vegan chocolate chip baking mix in a store like Target? That’s a big win. And, supposedly, they’re very good (I’ll report back).

After I picked up my baking mix, I browsed the shelves a bit more. A few months earlier I had swung by Target to get some soy yogurt, which they didn’t have. They still don’t, but they have quite a nice selection of soy milk. Target’s store brand even has some of those fancy chip flavors that you normally find in places like Whole Foods (think Olive Oil and Rosemary).

What really blew me away, though, was that they had loose White Peony tea. Three years ago, you’d never find white tea, especially loose tea, available in a supermarket, let alone a Target.

Times, they are a-changin’.